Friends, listen up. This weekend, I went undercover. For you. In search of a perfect Passover cookie that could fool even the most discerning dessert connoisseur, I brought a batch of Passover cookies to the pre-wedding festivities of one of my oldest friends. Now surely you're wondering why I'd subject some of my favorite people to those little bricks that taste like chalky potatoes and twice-cooked crackers. The answer, of course, is that I'd never do that. Friends don't make friends eat Passover cookies. Nope. What I did do was treat my near-and-dear to a big tupperware container full of soft, chewy, chocolatey cookies. Also on the menu: muffins, bagels, croissants, and all sorts of other leavened things. And you know what? My chocolate cookies went first.
These are the real deal. Unlike other Passover cookies, these are neither flimsy nor flavorless. In fact, they taste like pure chocolate and they're addictively chewy in that way that good chocolate chip cookies are. They're something you can really sink your teeth into. Oh, and they're also gluten-free. And one more thing: if you're like me and have about 3 Passover dishes, these are your cookies; they require nothing more than a metal bowl, a pot, and an appetite. Best-ever? I think so.
This is the first of two Passover cookie recipes I'll be posting, so stay tuned for round 2.
Best Chocolate Passover Cookiesadapted from a The Pioneer Woman
8 oz. good quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional 3 tablespoons butter 2 eggs 1/3 cup sugar 3/4 cup almond flour (or finely ground almonds, which you can make in a food processor)
Melt chocolate in a double boiler (metal bowl over pot with some water in it). When chocolate has fully melted, stir in butter and espresso powder (if using). Let cool 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk eggs and sugar until light, about 60 seconds. (I used a fork for this, just to make sure you didn't need a whisk. A-ok.) Add to cooled chocolate mixture and stir until combined. Add ground almonds and stir just until combined. Cover mixture and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, the texture should be like fudge.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Scoop dough into tablespoon-sized pieces and roll into balls. Place on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-9 minutes.
Makes about 35 cookies.